2.0 Upgrade

Parent Page: Missions

2.0 Upgrade
Event
Occurrence	A new building design is introduced for all Heroes
Initiator	Akiyama Makuro

The 2.0 Upgrade, or simply the Upgrade, was a massive, initially defective process that revolutionized the way the Hero Factory made and produced Heroes.

Summary

The Hero Factory developed a process to upgrade Heroes into new slightly taller forms, giving them enhanced strength and agility, and great flexibility and hypersensitive senses, and Akiyama Makuro developed the basic concept some time back. However, the process was too risky, as Makuro feared that the upgrade could do damage, and new Heroes were instead to be manufactured directly into these new forms until the process was perfected, reducing the danger.^[FO:MSG] At a press conference, Makuro unveiled Julius Nex and Nathan Evo, the first two Heroes built in the new style. During the conference, Makuro also stated that Hero Factory would have the process perfected enough for older Hero models to receive the upgrade two to three months from the date of the press conference.^{[Episode 5]} Nex and Evo were going to be part of a new team of 2.0 Heroes, which would act as a strike force that in situations were rapid response was required, but that idea was never utilized.^[FO:MSG]

When Preston Stormer, William Furno, and Natalie Breez were defeated by Fire Lord and his minions called the Fire Villains at Tanker Station 22, the escaping members returned to Makuhero City to receive the upgrade. Makuro warned them that the upgrade process would be dangerous for them, as the existing process was unfinished, but they insisted on acquiring the modification regardless. Their upgrade made them more resistant to heat and fire to better combat Fire Lord and his minions. The Heroes took some time adjusting to the new forms. This training normally takes six to eight weeks, but Stormer cut it short after less than a day because fighting the villains was an emergency situation, so the Heroes did not have that much time to practice.^[FO:MSG] Despite having a hard time learning how to use their new weapons and rarely moving stiff, the three Heroes soon went to confront the Fire Villains.^{[Episode 5]} Nex and Evo got fire-resistant armor and went to help the three Heroes fight the villains, despite lacking Stormer's experience in battle. The five Heroes defeated the villains while Stormer, Furno, and Breez used the upgrade to do this flawlessly.^[FO:MSG]

After the Fire Villains were defeated, Mark Surge, who had been previously captured by Fire Lord's gang and wanted the upgrade impatiently, received a successful upgrade.

The upgrade process was eventually perfected, and used on existing Heroes, as Stormer, Furno, Breez, and Surge's upgrades were later perfected.^{[C6][Episode 6][Episode 7][C7][Episode 8]} It became a staple in Hero Factory procedure in dealing with missions, even ones that require the upgrade to be dealt with.^{[Episode 5][FO:MSG]} Daniel Rocka was born with the upgrade. Jimi Stringer and Dunkan Bulk got it.^{[Episode 6]}

There are four upgrades that came after the 2.0 upgrade. When Stormer, Furno, Nex, Stringer, and Bulk were assigned to go to Quatros, investigate it, and rescue Rocka, they got upgraded with 3.0 armor. They brought Rocka's own 3.0 armor with them before they came to Quatros. After they rescued him, they gave Rocka his 3.0 armor, and he wore it. The Heroes used the 3.0 armor to fight the Witch Doctor and his possessed animal minions.^{[Episode 6]} The Heroes were able to defeat the animals, but they could not defeat the Witch Doctor. Furno, Nex, and Rocka found ancient armor pieces in a temple, and then Furno had Nex use his Triage Kit to combine Rocka with the pieces, making Rocka taller and stronger than a 3.0 Hero, becoming Rocka XL, with "XL" meaning "Extra Large". Rocka used the XL form to defeat the Witch Doctor. After Quatros was saved from destruction, Rocka removed the XL pieces to change back to his 3.0 form.^{[Episode 7]} The Heroes removed the 3.0 armor after the mission was accomplished.^{[Episode 8]}

Before the Breakout happened, Rocka got an upgrade, and used it to easily defeat Voltix, even though Volitx actually tricked him into capturing him in order to incite the Breakout. When Rocka and Furno brought Voltix to the Hero Factory's prison called Villain Storage, he caused the Breakout, where all villains from the Hero Factory's Villain Storage escaped to their own environments. Furno and the rest of the Alpha 1 Team got the upgrade to hunt down the villains. Stormer got an XL Breakout form, though it is unknown if he had a normal Breakout form before this. The Heroes were equipped with new Hero Cuffs that can fly and seek their targets.^{[Episode 8]} The Heroes used the Breakout upgrade to fight and defeat the Black Phantom and the villains they were after.^{[Episode 9][SM3][SM4][SM5][FO:MSG]} The Heroes kept their Breakout forms when Stormer, Furno, Rocka, Bulk, Breez, Surge, and Evo were attending a public event in Makuhero City right before the Brains attacked the city.^{[Episode 10]}

When the Brains invaded the city, Stormer, Furno, Rocka, Bulk, Breez, Surge, and Evo got the Brain Attack upgrade and used it to fight the Brains in the city. During the upgrade process, Furno got an XL Brain Attack form, though it is unknown if he had a normal Brain Attack form before this. The Heroes used the Brain Attack upgrades to fight and defeat the Brains, and then Blank Heroes made and controlled by a Brain-possessed Surge.^{[Episode 10]}

Right before the Jumpers attacked Antropolis City, the seven Heroes got an upgrade, where they got new compact armor that is designed to allow them to pilot Battle Machines. The Heroes used the upgrades and machines to fight and defeat the Jumpers.^{[Episode 11]}

Functionality

The 2.0 Upgrade is a process that upgrades Heroes into new slightly taller forms, giving them enhanced strength and agility, and great flexibility and hypersensitive senses. However, the upgrade was initially risky for 1.0 Heroes because it could do damage to the Heroes. There are some Heroes that are born with the upgrade, and these Heroes got the upgrade safely that way. If the 1.0 Heroes got the upgrade before it was perfected, they would become stiff in their joints occasionally when they fight. The upgrade on the 1.0 Heroes was eventually perfected.

When the Heroes got the upgrade, they became to look very different from their 1.0 forms. They got new armor and body structure design, including new heads. Each 2.0 Hero's armor has one white, silver, or gunmetal gray limb armor piece that has the Hero's name on it. The piece is located on either the Hero's upper arm, forearm, or thigh. The 2.0 Heroes also got new helmets and chest armor pieces that look the same, but the helmets have unique silver or gunmetal gray headgear around the rims. The headgear has various tools, but they all have cameras and antennas. The headgear is also ocular enhancements that provide visual data across multiple wavelengths.(shown in the March-April 2011 issue of the Lego Magazine) The 2.0 Heroes' Hero Cores look different from the 1.0 Heroes'. The Cores are compact and deliver 40% more power.(shown in the March-April 2011 issue of the Lego Magazine) Some of the 2.0 Heroes were once 1.0 Heroes. Others are born that way. Apparently, the 2.0 forms are permanent.^{[Episode 8]} The Heroes use new weapons, which were top secret during Mission: Ordeal of Fire. Stormer, Furno, Breez, Nex, Evo, and Surge got heat-resistant servos that deliver improved performance, and armor that is resilient against lava and plasma weapons.(shown in the March-April 2011 issue of the Lego Magazine)

All of the upgrades are done in the Assembly Tower.

When the Heroes got the 3.0 upgrade, each Hero gets armor that is based on a different Earth animal. The armor's helmet look like the Hero's animal. The armor also gives its Hero wearer the ability of such animal. This armor is made to adapt to a jungle. Like the 2.0 armor, each 3.0 Hero's armor has one transparent green limb armor piece that has the Hero's name and picture of his or her animal on it. The piece is located on either the Hero's bicep arm, forearm, or thigh. The 3.0 Heroes can switch back to their 2.0 forms.^{[Episode 8]} They have various bladed weapons, and some of them shoot various kinds of blasts.

When the 2.0 Heroes got the Breakout upgrade, they look very different. They have new heads that look like their 1.0 ones, and wear new helmets that look like their 1.0 ones. The Heroes get a new chest armor piece, and each Hero also gets various new armor pieces. Their Hero Cores look different from the 2.0 ones, as they are perfectly circular. All Breakout Hero Cores are white. There are unqiue markings on the chest armor, on both sides of where the Hero Core is. The Heroes get equipment that allows them to adapt to different environments. Some of the Breakout Heroes are slightly taller than others. The short Breakout Heroes are as short as the 2.0 Heroes while the others are taller than the 2.0 Heroes. Apparently, the Breakout forms are permanent, like the 2.0 forms.^{[Episode 10]} The Breakout Heroes are known to be armed with Plasma Guns of various kinds. They also got a new kind of Hero Cuffs that can fly and seek out their target. The Cuffs can be clipped onto the Heroes' armor for storage. Each of some of the Heroes' armor has a pincer-like clip that can attach the Cuffs, but Dunkan Bulk's armor did not have a clip.

When the Breakout Heroes got the Brain Attack upgrade, they look different. The Heroes got new heads. They wear new helmets that look somewhat like their 1.0 and Breakout ones, but with high-tech visors with various functions. The Heroes got a new chest armor piece, which has four Hero Core Locking Clamps that can enhance the power of and protect their Hero Cores. Some chest armor pieces are silver while others are gunmetal gray. Like the Breakout upgrade, the Heroes have various new armor pieces, and some of the Heroes were slightly taller than the others, but at different heights. The shorter Brain Attack Heroes are slightly taller than the short Breakout ones, and the taller Brain Attack Heroes are in between the the short ones and the tall Breakout ones. The Heroes are known to slightly change their heights between the shorter and taller heights, as Rocka, Bulk, and Breez became shorter when he switched from their Breakout forms to their Brain Attack forms, and Evo and Surge became taller when they switched from their Breakout forms to their Brain Attack forms. The short Brain Attack Heroes are known to not have armor on their forearms while the tall ones do. The short Heroes are known to carry one of their handheld weapons on their backs. The tall ones are known to have visors that have decorative markings. The Brain Attack Heroes are equipped with weapons that are based on medieval ones, and some are armed with various guns that shoot small missiles. It is unknown if the Heroes could change back to their Breakout forms.

The 3.0, Breakout, and Brain Attack Heroes are known to be able to have special forms called XL forms, with "XL" standing for "Extra Large". The XL forms are taller and stronger versions of the Heroes' such forms that have bulkier and stronger armor. All of them can look different and be at different sizes, as an XL 3.0 Hero is slightly taller than an XL Breakout Hero, who is also slightly taller than an XL Brain Attack Hero. An XL Breakout Hero is large enough to drive a large Drop Ship.^{[Episode 9]} A 3.0 Hero can get his or her XL form by being fused to the ancient armor pieces from Quatros when another Hero uses a Triage Kit to do this. The Heroes can change from their XL forms back to their regular forms. When the Assembly Tower gives the Heroes XL Breakout and XL Brain Attack forms, it is unknown if the Heroes had normal Breakout and normal Brain Attack forms before getting their XL forms, respectively, but it is still possible that they can do this and to change the Heroes from their XL Breakout and XL Brain Attack forms to their normal Breakout and normal Brain Attack forms. It is possible to apply the XL forms to 2.0 forms due to the 2.0 forms being similar to the 3.0, Breakout, and Brain Attack forms. It is also possible to apply the anicent armor pieces to the 2.0, Breakout, and Brain Attack forms due to these forms being similar to the 3.0 forms. It is possible for the tower to give the Heroes XL versions of their 2.0 and 3.0 forms due to these forms being similar to the Breakout and Brain Attack forms.

The Brain Attack Heroes can also use Rocka's large jetpack. It is possible for the 2.0, 3.0, and Breakout Heroes to wear the jetpack due to similarities between them and the Brain Attack forms.

When the Heroes got the Battle Machine pilot upgrade, they look different. The Heroes got new heads. They all have new compact armor(Mini-Robots & Massive Mechs!) that do not have special features or secondary colors, and the Heroes look exactly like each other with the armor. The armor has a new dark gray chest piece. The Heroes' Hero Cores look different from the Breakout ones. They wear new helmets that look much like their 1.0 and Breakout ones. The helmets have flashlights built into them. The armor allows the Heroes to fit into their Battle Machines' cockpits. Each Hero's left forearm armor piece has a built-in communication device. It can also record a being's words through a coding language. It can get other Heroes' signals, and when the Heroes get closer to their fellows, the signals get stronger. The Heroes are around as tall as the tall Breakout Heroes. They are equipped with a device called a Remote Builder, which can be used to build a Battle Machine. Each Hero is also equipped with a laser gun,^{[Episode 11]} and the Heroes are equipped with various weapons and equipment. It is unknown if the Heroes could change back to their Breakout forms or Brain Attack forms.

Trivia

• The Breakout, Brain Attack, and Invasion From Below forms were never given offical names, and they are not called "4.0", "5.0", and "6.0" by their sets, respectively, for unknown reasons. The commericals only gave the XL and Jet forms their names. The television episodes never gave the forms in general their names.
• It is unknown if Surge, Breez, and Evo got their own 3.0 forms. It is also unknown if Stringer and Nex got their own Brain Attack forms or Battle Machine pilot forms.
• Nex, Evo, and Rocka were never born as 1.0 Heroes, but their Breakout helmets look like the three Heroes' own theoretical 1.0 helmets, even though that Rocka's heat vision scope on his Breakout helmet is just an additional gadget that the helmet did not come with at first. It could also be possible that the Heroes' bodies were 1.0 forms to begin with, but got the upgrade before the Heroes were born. Nex and Evo's Breakout helmets also look like their 2.0 helmets while Rocka's Breakout helmet looks completely original. Even Rocka's Brain Attack and Invasion From Below helmets look like the Breakout one, but without the heat vision scope.
• In the 2010 story arc's sets and media, the Heroes had four fingers per hand. In the 2011 sets, they had five fingers per hand, even though in Episode 5: Ordeal of Fire, Episode 6: Savage Planet Part 1, and Episode 7: Savage Planet Part 2 in 2011, they still had four fingers per hand for an unknown reason. In the 2012 and 2013 story arcs' sets, the Heroes had five fingers per hand, and in Episode 8: Breakout Part 1, Episode 9: Breakout Part 2, and Episode 10: Brain Attack in 2012-2013, they finally them. In Episode 11: Invasion From Below in 2014 and the 2014 story arc's sets' instruction manuals' mini-comics, the Heroes have four fingers per hand again for an unknown reason. It is unknown if the changes in the number of fingers per hand were a part of the upgrades, as the sets and media can look somewhat cartoonish in terms of having four fingers per hand.
• In the television episodes, the 2.0, 3.0, and Breakout Heroes have silver armor pieces that look like shield pieces of the Multi-Tool Ice Shields on their backs for an unknown reason.
• Stormer 2.0 and Rocka 3.0's sets are slightly taller than the other 2.0 and 3.0 sets in 2011 because of their slightly longer foreleg pieces. However, in the episodes, Stormer 2.0 and Rocka 3.0 are on the same height as the other 2.0 and 3.0 Heroes by using the others' foreleg pieces. Also, according to instructions for the Stormer 2.0 and Rocka 3.0 sets' non-canon combination models in HeroFactory.com, the sets' foreleg pieces are required to build the combination models.
• The 2.0 and 3.0 sets have torso under-armor pieces of various colors, but in the episodes, all but Rocka, Stringer, and Bulk have silver torso under-armor pieces while the three Heroes kept their colors in their 2.0 and 3.0 forms.
• Some of the 2.0, regular 3.0, and regular Breakout sets have broader shoulders than the others' because of their torso pieces. Brain Attack Stormer's set also has broader shoulders than the other regular Brain Attack Hero sets'. However, in the episodes, all 2.0 and regular 3.0 Heroes have equal-lengthed shoulders by using the torso pieces with broader shoulders. Breakout Furno is the only regular Breakout Hero in the episodes to have broader shoulders, so his Aquajet Pack can be fitted onto him. All regular Brain Attack Heroes in the episodes have torso pieces with closer shoulders. Also, according to instructions for the broader-shouldered sets' non-canon combination models in the Hero Factory website, the sets' torso pieces with broader shoulders are required to build the combination models.
• Half of the 2.0 sets have longer forearms than the others'. All of the 3.0 sets but Stringer 3.0 have pairs of these forearms. Stringer 3.0 has one long forearm for a left forearm and a short forearm for a right forearm for an unknown reason. Rocka XL, Breakout Rocka, Breakout Evo, and Breakout Bulk's sets have long right forearms and various short left forearms for an unknown reason. Breakout Surge, Breakout Nex, and Breakout Stringer's sets have short forearms. Breakout Furno's set has long forearms. Breakout Breez's set has longer forearms than Furno's. The small Brain Attack Hero sets have short forearms while the medium-sized ones have longer forearms. However, in the episodes, all 2.0 and 3.0 Heroes have pairs of short forearms. Rocka XL's right forearm is as short as his left. Breakout Rocka has short forearms for an unknown reason. Breakout Evo has short forearms. Brain Attack Surge has short forearms for an unknown reason, probably a mistake.
• The Heroes' Breakout helmets in the television episodes have highlights to distinguish them from their 1.0 counterparts.
• In the 2014 story arc's sets, the Heroes' communication devices on their left forearms are two pieces. One attaches to his or her arm, and one is a transparent light blue tile piece that attached to the other piece. The latter also has a printed picture that represents a hologram that contacts Hero Factory. The sets' instruction manuals' mini-comics show the devices as parts of the forearm armor, but still projects a hologram that shows a Battle Machine. In Episode 11, the devices are still parts of the forearm armor, and instead of projecting holograms, they are screens on the forearm armor that are used to contact the Hero Factory and other Heroes, translate beasts' languages in code, and detect other Heroes' signals.

Appearances

• Comic 5: Ordeal of Fire (NC)
• Episode 5: Ordeal of Fire (FA)
• Face Off: Makuro's Secret Guidebook
• European Promotional Comic (NC)